Device for protecting end bearings.



w. B. 110mm. DEVICE FOR-PROTECTING END BEARINGS.

.LYPLIGATION rmz'n' APB. a. 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

INVENi'ORI W/LL/fl/V 15/ /0065,

FIGI

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQ' I.

WILLIAM B. HODGE, OF GLENSIDE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO QUEEN & 00.,INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR PROTECTING END BEARINGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IViLLniir B. Hones, of Glenside, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Protecting End Bearings, whereof thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention is especially adapted for use in connection with the endbearings of delicate moving systems, such, for instance, as thoseemployed in electrical and magnetic apparatus, where extreme sensibilityis required on account of the delicate nature of the measurements to beindicated and the relatively small moving force which is available.Ordinarily, in instruments of this character, sharpened pivots areemployed whose reduced ends are supported upon hard polish ed surfaces,such as steel or ewels.

Owing to the exceedingly delicate character of the bearing pointsandtlie high degree of polish which should be maintained at the surfacesengaging them, the transportation of instruments of this construction isattended with much danger, since the dulling panying drawings,represented it as applied to an ordinary DArsonval instrumentof awell-known type, but it must, of course, be understood that it can beemployed in connection with any other moving system which embodies twoend bearings of the same general character.

Figure I, represents a plan view of the essential parts of saidDArsonval instrument having my invention applied thereto. Fig. II, is alongitudinal section on the plane indicated at II, II, in Fig. I. Fig.III, is a view in elevation of the end which is represented at the rightin Figs. I and II. Fig. IV, is a vertical transverse section on theplane indicated at IV, IV, in Figs. I and II. F1 V. shows a )itl'tlfllview 111 side elevation of the end which is to the right in Figs. I andII, partly indicating in vertical section the adjacent portion of thebox, in which the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1907.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 366,953.

apparatus may be inclosed, and showing a convenient means of actuatingthe moving parts.

In said figures, the permanent magnet is represented at 1, the curvedpole faces at 2, 2, the core at 13, and the rotatable coil at 16. Thiscoil, together with certain adjunctive parts carried thereby,constitutes the movable system of the particular apparatus nowdescribed, and it is normally sup ported upon end bearings, comprisingthe pivots 23 and 24, and the jewels 3 and I, the latter being providedwith sockets, as shown, to receive the sharpened ends of the pivots. Inthis instance the pivots 23 and 24, are the rotating elements of thebearings, since they are attached to and rotate with the coil, while thejewels 3 and l are the stationary elements of the bearings. The upperjewel 3, is mounted in the end of a screw stud 12, whose slotted headextends into an open recess 27, formed near the upper extremity of thecore 13, so as to afford access to the screw for vertical adjustment ofthe stud. WVhen the jewel 3 has been adjusted in a given position, itmay be considered as functionally a fixed element. The lower jewel I, isfunctionally an axially movable element and for that purpose is mountedin the end of a cylindrical stud 5, which fits snugly, but freely, in acavity 25, in the lower end of the stationary core 13, the reduced upperportion of said stud being surrounded by a spiral spring 18, which isseated within said cavity.

A face plate l l, having a small central hole, is secured to the lowerend of the core 13, and thus retains the stud '5 and jewel 4:, withinthe cavity, against the tension of the spring 18. The lower pivot 24,passes through said hole in the face plate 14. The pin 6, is securedtransversely in the stud 5, and extends laterally out through a slot 26,formed in the adjacent lower portion of the core 13. A shifting frame 8,is movably supported upon the exterior face of the core piece 18, saidframe having an inwardly projecting lower end portion 28, which extendsimmediately below the under surface of the lower end of the coil 16. Aguide plate 29, is mounted at the upper extremity of the core 13, andextends horizontally between the upper end of the core, and theproximate inner surface of the upper end of the coil 16. This guideplate 29, is perforated to ermit the free passage of the unner pivot 23.The frame 8, is movably supported in contact with the face of the core13, by means of screws 9, which extend freely through vertical slots 30,formed in said frame, so as to permit vertical or endwise movement ofthe frame with relation to the core. The frame is also slotted at 31, topermit the lateral protrusion of small vertical extent, so that only aslight relative movement of the pin 6, with relation to the frame ispermitted, while a more extended vertical movement of the frame withrelation to the core 13, is permitted by reason of the greater length ofthe slots 30.

A lever 7, is mounted upon a fulcrum pin 11, supported in a fixedbracket the inner extremity of said lever being in operative relation tothe protruding end of the pin 6, so that when the outer end of the lever is depressed, said pin will be raised.

In the embodiment shown in F V, 33 represents one end of the box inwhich the instrument is inclosed, 3-3: being the hinged lid or cover. Avertical rod is mounted to slide freely in the end of the box, the lowerend of said rod being arranged in operative relation to the outer end ofthe lever 7, and the length of the rod being such that when the lid 3%is shut down, the rod 255 will depress the outer end of the lever to theextent desired. Whether thus actuated or otherwise, the operation of thedevice is as followsr- When the outer end of the lever T, is depressed,its inner end lifts the pin 6. The first effect of this action is toshift the stud 5, vertically with relation to the core piece 13, thuslifting the jewel -l-, away from the lower pivot The extent of thismovement, however, is slight, since the pin 6, soon comes in contactwith the upper limit of the slot 31. Thereupon, said pin engages withthe frame 8, and the further upward movement of the inner end of thelever T, will consequently lift said frame bodily to an extent which maycorrespond with the extreme length of the slot :30, and will continue tolift the stud 5 and jewel The inwardly projecting end 28 of the frame 8,is, by this upward movement, caused to engage with the under surface ofthe lower end portion of the coil 16, and as the upward movement of thefame continues, the coil will be bodily lifted, carrying with it thepivot 23, which is thus removed from contact with the upper jewel Thelower pivot is, of course, also lifted, but by reason of the continuedwithdrawal of its jewel will not reengage therewith. The upward movementof the frame 8, also finally results in the clamping of the lower endportion of the coil 16, against the outer face of the plate 14:, whichis seof its co-acting jewel. A r the stud 6, but said slot is, as sho\n, of very cured at the lower end of the core 13, so that the coil willbe firmly held against displacement when in its lifted position. Whenthe coil has been thus shifted, both of its end bearings will haveceased to be in engagement, by reason of the withdrawal of the lowerjewel from the region of its coacting pivot and conversely by thewithdrawal of the upper pivot from the region The moving system (in thisinstance, the coil) is, during this period of n'nitual withdrawal of thepivots and bearings, supported by means of the frame 8, and in the fullembodiment above described, this support involves the further feature ofclamping the coil in a fixed position during the period of separation.Under these circumstances, the end portion of the pivots .23 and 2%, andthe bearing faces of the jewels S and a, are absolutely protectedagainst the risk of accidental injury in transportation or otherwise. Inorder to restore the parts to their working positions, it is onlynecessary to permit the outer end of the lever T, to rise into itsnormal position, which action of course may be effected by theresiliency of the spring 18, which will tend to throw the stud 5, andconsequently the pin 6, downward. Said pin in its descent will engagewith the frame 8. and will shift it downward so as to permit the descentof the coil, the resultbeing finally to cause reengagement between thejewels 3 and and their respective pivots.

in describing the foregoing embodiment, it will he noted that certainterms are used, such as vertical and horizontal, which are appropriatein connection with the particular device under consideration, and itwill also be noted that the preferred arrangement in this particularembodiment involves the longitudinal movement of one jewel with relationto its pivot, and the iongitndii'ial movement of the other pivot withrelation to jewel. in order to avoid any implied limitation as to thescope of the claims, I now call attention to the fact that thesefeatures are, in a certain sense, accidental, and that I contemplateobvious modifications within the principle of my invention, whichdepends upon relative axial movement of the bearing members,irrespective of the selection of certain particular elements as themoving ones. I use the word j ewels, in my claims, as a convenientcomprehensive term for the elements which afford seats for the ends ofthe pivots, but, of course, do not thereby imply that any particularmaterial. shall be employed, nor that the form of said elements shall berestricted. I further desire to state that I am aware that it is notbroadly new to provide a clamping device for a pivot-ally mountedstructure. In

certain old forms of magnetic compasses and moving coil instruments, ithas been common to support the system upon a single pivot and to providemeans for lifting the moving element away from said pivot. Theconditions,however, in such single pivoted instruments are entirelydifferent from those which obtain in the class to which my inventionrelates, since in the latter there are pivotal supports at both ends. Inthese latter systems the mere lifting of the moving member away from onepivot, would, of course, result in excessive pressure between the otherpivot and its opposing bearing surface, so that the problem in the caseof the double-pivot instrument is essentially a differentone.

I claim 1. In a system comprising a rotatable member normally supportedupon end bearings, the combination with said member and its bearings; ofmeans for axially shifting said member and its attached bearing elementsand for shifting a nonrotating element of the bearings; and means forautomatically returning the bearing elements to their normal position.

In a system comprising arotatable member normally supported upon endbearings; the combination with said member and its bearings; of meansfor axially shifting said member and its attached bearing elements andfor shifting a non-rotating element of the bearing; means for clampingthe rotatable member in its shifted position; and means forautomatically returning the bearing elements to their normal position.

3. The combination of a rotatable member; pivots axially arranged uponsaid member; jewels adapted to engage said pivots; an axially movableseat for one of said jewels; and means comprising a pin and slotconnection for axially shifting said seat and its jewel and for axiallyshifting the movable member and its pivots, the range of axial movementof said jewel being greater than the range of axial movement of thecorresponding pivot.

4c. The combination of a rotatable member; pivots axially arranged uponsaid memher; a fixed support comprising an abutment; jewels in saidsupport; an axially movable seat for one of said jewels; a frame adaptedto engage the rotatable member and axially shift it; and means arrangedto first shift said seat and its jewel, and then engage the frame toclamp the rotating member against said abutment.

5. The combination of a rotating member; pivots axially arranged uponsaid mem her; a fixed support; jewels mounted in said support; anaxially movable seat for one of said jewels; a frame mounted to slidewith relation to said support and adapted to engage said rotatingmember, said frame being provided with a slot of less extent than itsown range of movement; a pin connected with said jewel-seat andextending through said slot; and means for shifting said pin in thedirection of the axis of the pivots, whereby a relatively slightmovement of said pin with relation to said frame is permitted and saidframe may be shifted with relation to said support.

6. The combination of a rotatable member; axial pivot-s arranged uponsaid memher; a fixed support, provided with an axial cavity; a springactuated stud mounted in said cavity; a jewel carried by said stud; ajewel mounted at'the other end of said support; a frame movably mountedupon the face of said support; said frame having a slot of less extentthan the range of said movement; a pin connected with said stud andextending through said slot; and means for shifting said pin in thedirection of the axis of said pivots.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at PhiladelphiaPennsylvania this twenty-eighth day of March 1907.

WILLIAM B. Hones.

